FB wheel free spins Carver 32

'87 year Carver 32. As far as I know, FB wheel hasn't worked for a very long time. FB unit just spins and spins. I know the lines going up to the unit were depleted of oil. I'm not going through the complete bleeding procedure just yet, as my belief is that the upper pump H50 hynautic is cavitated. I thought that having 25 psi on the system would push the fluid up to the FB pump? I intend on just cracking the P and S lines to at least bleed out the air in those lines and get fluid up to the pump. With that said...is there a chance that an internal seal could be faulty in the FB pump, knowing that the system is holding pressure? I wanted to get this trouble shooting down now, before I head down to this boat this next weekend, as I won't have internet connection. The helm steering is fine, but I must have slowly turned the FB wheel 100 times either way and it never had rudder response. Maybe I need to pump the system up to 40, just to get the oil up to FB? Like I said...not ready for a full bleeding procedure quite yet, as I don't even have response to FB unit. Any advice?

On our boat when the AP is on and the pump is running there is no pressure to the helms. A solenoid isolates the system. You may be better off to add fluid to the upper helm and continue to work it until the air is pumped out. Since it’s probably the high point of the circuit it shouldn’t take you long.

Hi Bob....No AP, has reservoir and is a closed system.

I’ve read that a FB helm that’s really gone dry can take 200 lock-to-lock turns to get fluid all the way back up to the helm. Mine wasn’t that dry, and only took 25 turns. Also read that it helps to increase pressure to 50psi while doing it, but I couldn’t get much over 30 with my bicycle pump in the cozy confines of my ER.

wpc691 said:

I’ve read that a FB helm that’s really gone dry can take 200 lock-to-lock turns to get fluid all the way back up to the helm. Mine wasn’t that dry, and only took 25 turns. Also read that it helps to increase pressure to 50psi while doing it, but I couldn’t get much over 30 with my bicycle pump in the cozy confines of my ER.

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Thank you! Your message is encouraging!!

Obviously you're low on fluid. Fill from the top as most instructions say..

This thread reminds me of too many "lost at sea" stories. It seemed all would be lost … then the steering failed and the tiny craft was dashed on the rocks. All lives were lost.

Sometimes it's better to stay in port and work on the bare necessities.

You may find you have a relief valve that you have to open to purge the air out, thats how I fixed mine, and a mates. Mine is a Hynautic that also has a a reservoir that you pump up with a bike pump. The relief vale is a small metal block that has two nuts on it, you let the pressure out of the system at the reservoir, then loosen the two nuts (they don't come out) then turn the wheel slowly 50 times at each direction on both helms, tighten the two nuts on the valve, re pressurise the system to around 25lbs.

fixed it

pumped up to 50 psi. Bled FB wheel P and S lines. Success! Reduced pressure to 40 and holding fine. Steering all good. Thx to all...